Chris Low, an ESPN Senior Writer and college football reporter, has joined ESPN.com in 2007 after graduating from the University of Tennessee. M.A. Voepel, who covers the WNBA, women’s college basketball, and other college sports for espnW, has been with ESPN since 1996 and started covering women’s basketball in 1984.
On a scorching summer day in Baton Rouge, Brian Kelly, the head coach of LSU’s football team, chuckled when told about a playful comment made by Ya’el Lofton, a longtime football staffer. Lofton predicted that Kelly would win her fourth national championship, after serving as executive assistant to three previous championship-winning head coaches at LSU. Kelly found the prediction amusing and embraced the expectations that come with coaching at LSU, a university known for its championship tradition.
LSU’s recent success in national championships can be attributed to the strategic coaching hires made by athletic director Scott Woodward. In 2021, Woodward hired Kim Mulkey, who led the women’s basketball team to their first national championship, and Jay Johnson, who guided the baseball team to their seventh national title. In November, Woodward hired Brian Kelly, who in his first season at LSU led the team to an SEC championship game appearance and a Citrus Bowl victory.
With Mulkey and Johnson setting a high standard in their second seasons at LSU, Kelly enters his second season ranked No. 5 in the country. While there may be pressure to win a national title, Kelly sees it as the standard at LSU and is committed to upholding it alongside Mulkey and Johnson.
Woodward, an LSU graduate himself, has been instrumental in hiring coaches who bring intelligence, organizational skills, and their own unique coaching styles to the university. Mulkey, a Louisiana native with an impressive coaching career at Baylor, and Johnson, inspired by LSU’s former baseball coach Skip Bertman, have already made significant impacts on their respective teams. Kelly, a Boston native who previously coached at Notre Dame, was initially hesitant to leave his dream job but was convinced by Woodward’s vision for LSU.
Kelly’s decision to join LSU was influenced by the university’s commitment to athletics and its ongoing facility improvements. He signed a 10-year, $95 million deal and became the first sitting head coach at Notre Dame to leave for another job in over a century. While he cherished his time at Notre Dame, Kelly recognized the unique opportunities and priorities that come with coaching at LSU.
Overall, Woodward’s bold hiring decisions and the talented coaches he has brought to LSU have set the stage for continued success. With Kelly leading the football team, Mulkey guiding the women’s basketball team, and Johnson at the helm of the baseball team, LSU aims to maintain its championship tradition and elevate the university’s athletic program to new heights.
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